Hospital table



Patented Qct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK KUSTmLE, F KENOSHA,`WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMONS COMPANY, NEW YORK, N. Y., -A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HOSPITAL TABLE Application led August 12, 1,929. Serial No. 385,264.

This invention relates to hospital'tables or over-the-bed tables such as are designed for convenient use by those who are required to remain in bed, and particularly for use 'in 'Q3 hospitals.

The objects of the invention are to provide a hospital table of thetype referred to which will be rigid and steady whenl in use and not readily tipped over; to provide a hospital l@ table which is vertically adjustable to suit the convenience of the person using the table; to provide means for adj ustably supporting the table whereby the same may be adjusted upwardly by the person using the 'i6 same while .remaining in bed; to providean arrangement whereby the table is readily inovableto the desired position longitudinally of the bed; to provide a hospital table structure of the class described which can be 9@ economically made at a comparatively low cost; and in general, it is the object of my invention to provide an improved hospital table of the class described.

Other objects and advantages of my in- 25 vention will be understoodby reference to 'the following specification and accompanying drawings inv which I have illustrated a hospital table embodying a selected form of my invention, and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig'. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken on a vertical plane extending through one of the pedestals ofthe table as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44-4 of Fig. 3, and f Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 5--5 and 6-6 respectively'of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, my improved hospital table includes a table top 10 which may be of sheet metal or other suitable material, and which is preferably provided with an upwardly facing ledge or ange 11 which serves to support papers, books or the like when the table top is in Aupwardly inclined position as shown in Fig. 1. The table top 10 is'adjustably mounted on a main supporting frame which is adapted to straddle the width of an ordinary hospital bed. v

y The table supporting structure according to my present invention includes a pair of pedestals 12 and 13 which areconnected at their upper ends by means of a frame element 14. The connecting frame element 14 serves to rigidly maintain the pedestals 12 and 13 in fixed spaced relation and also to maintain the pedestals in upright position, i. e. against tipping in a direction extending crosswise of the bed.

The pedestals 12 and 13 are substantially alike in construction. Therefore, I will proceed to describe in detail the construction of only one of them, and I will describe the pedestal 13 which is shown in Fig. 3, this view being a section looking towards the inside of the piedestal. r-

By reference to Figs.'1 and 3, it will be seen that the pedestal 13 includes an upright hollow post member 15 which is mounted in a foot member 16, the latter extending transversely of the post and being arranged to extend longitudinally of the bed. The foot member 16 is also preferably a hollow or tubular metal member provided with casters such as 17 at its opposite ends and facilitating movement of the table to or from operative position over a bed. The casters atthe opposite ends of the foot are, of course, adapted to rest on the floor, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the hollow post 15 extends upwardly from the foot 16 at a point intermediate the length of the foot member. The post 15 is rigidly secured to the foot member 16 in any suitable manner, preferably by being passed through openings in the top andbottom walls of the foot member as clearly shown in Fig. 3, a collar 18 and lower end cap 19 .being provided as shown. The parts may be welded or otherwise secured in assembled position so as to form a rigid and durable structure. It will be seen that the post 15 is maintained' in upright position, that is to say, against falling or tipping in the direction of the length of a bed by reason of its intermediate position on the elongated foot 16.

The pedestals 12 and 13 are preferably connected at their upper ends as above described 100 accomplished by securing the frame part 14 y or otherwise.

to an element which is vertically slidably mounted on the upright posts of the pedestals. In the present instance, this mounting includes a tubular metal member 20 which tele-- scopes over the post 15 in a snug sliding fit thereover. For locking the telescoping members 15 and 2O in the desired position of vertical adjustment, I provide a spring-pressed Vdog 21 which is pivotally mounted as indicated at 22 in a U-shaped bracket member 23. The bracket 23 is anchored in place adjacent the upper end of the post 13 in any suitable manner, for instance, by riveting or welding.

The dog 21 includes a tooth portion 24 which projects outwardly through an opening 2.5 in the inner wall part of the post 15,-and 1s adapted to fit into openings such as'26 in the adjacent wall part of the tubular member 20. As shown, there is a series of vertically spaced openings 26 in the inside wall of the tubular member 20 so that the saidv member is adapted to be locked by the pawl 21 in any one of a plurality of' vertically adjusted positions. The dog 21 is preferablyv in the shape of a bell crank, one arm of which carries the tooth 24 and the other arm of which is pivotally connected to a control rod 27. A spring28 fitting around the controlvrod 27 and compressed between the bottom part of the bracket 23 and a washer 29 at the upper end of the control rod, serves to yieldingly urge the dog to turn in such a direction that the tooth 24 thereof is caused to enter the respective openings 26. rhe control rod 27 extends downwardly from the locking dog, inside of the post 13 and projects through an opening in the cap 19 as clearly shown in Fig. 3, andthe lowerend of the control rod is connected to a pivotally mounted treadle member 30. The treadle member 30 is pivoted at one end as shown at 31 to the under side of the foot member 16, and at its free endA is provided with a treadle rod 32 which is secured to the member 30,.passes upwardly through the foot member 16 throughsuitable openings provided therein, and which is provided with a head or button member 33 adapted to be depressed by stepping lthereon It will be seen that when the button 33 is stepped on, the control rod 27 will be depressed against the pressure of the spring 28 and the tooth 24 withdrawn from engagement with one ofthe openings 26.

The arrangement of the openings 26 and the pawl or dog 21,is preferably such that the table may be adjusted upwardly merely by lifting the'same, and without requiring de' pression of the pedal 33. This is accompllshed by providing the lower side of the tooth 24 with an inclined yface as indicated `at 34 so that upward movement of the tubular member 20 will be effective to cam the dog inwardly while downward movement of the tubular member, under its own weight, is

effectively prevented by engagement of the lower side of the tooth with the edge 35 of the tubular post 15 adjacent the bottom of the opemng 25 therein, through which the tooth projects. Pivotal movement of the dog 21 j under the weight of the table top, and also under the influence of the spring 28 is further limited by reason of the control rod 27 which, at its lower end, is provided with a cotter pin 36, or other suitable key element which engages the bottom of the treadle 30 so as to pull the same upwardly into engagement with the bottom of the cap 19.

The inside face of each of the pedestals is provided with a cushion strip or bumper 37 which is adapted to prevent contactfof the metal post members with the bedstead, and

thereby to prevent scratching or other marring or damage to the bedstead as an incident to movement of the table into or out of position over the bed, or as an incident to movement of the table while in use over the bed.l The bumper strip 37 may be anchored to the inside of the respective pedestals in any suitable manner, but I prefer to anchor it by provided with an outwardly offset center portion as shown in Fig. 5 so that it will not prevent the tooth 24 of the locking dog from projecting through the respective openings the required distance. The facing strip 40 obviously serves to conceal the openings 26 whereby appearance of the structure is improved. The facing strip 40 also facilitates cleanliness in that it excludes dirt and other foreign matter from the openings in the side walls of the post members, and also from the inside thereof.

The upper ends of the tubular members 20 are preferably bent inwardly as shown l in Fig. 1, and the frame structure 14 is secured to the inner ends of the said bent end portions. The frame structure 14 may conveniently consist of tubular metal members pro-l vided with bent endssubstantially as shown,

thebent ends being secured to the pedestal members so as to form a frame including spaced front and rear bars 41 and 42, these parts being rigidly maintained'in position by being welded to the respective pedestal parts. l

The table top 10 may convenlently be hinged to the front bar 41 by means of hinges as indicated at 43, which hinges preferably include a leaf 44lextending across the entire width or height of the table top so as to reinforce the same, the other leaf 45 of each hinge being secured to the frame part 4l in any suitable manner.

For adjustably supporting the table top in a desired position of pivotal ad'ustment, I provide a bail member 46 which 1s pivotally secured to the back of the table member l0 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bottom part of which bail is adapted to tit in notches 47 provided in rackubars 48--48, the latter extending between and being secured to the front and rear bars 41 and 42 of the frame 14. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, certain of the notches or recesses 47 adjacent the front end ofthe rack bars 48 are disposed at a rearwardly facing angle so as to facilitate insertion of the bail therein when the table part is to be disposed in a position closely approximating a vertical position. Vhen the table top is .disposed in substantially 'horizontal position as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, the bail 46 ts in the rearmost notches of the rack bars 48.

In the present instance, I have shown the telescoping tubular members 15 and 2O as being rectangularin form. A It will' accordihgly be seen that the foot members 16 are maintained against rotation about the axis of the telescoping members so that both of the foot members will remain substantially parallel to each other at all times. Of course, other means may be provided for slidably connecting the respective pedestal parts while at the same time preventing relative rotation therebetween so that the bed straddling frame structure will be readily movable longitudinally of the bed.

Tipping ot the foot members in a direction extending vcrosswise of the bed is obviously prevented by reason of the relatively fixed telescoping members 20 which preferably it over substantially the entire length of the upright posts when the table is in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 1. Wear plates such as indicated at 49-49 may be provided on the foot members 16 for preventwearing of the foot members proper by reason of a person stepping' on the foot member, in the event that this becomes necessary, to hold the pedestals down when it is desired to raise the table top.

The above described structure may readily be made comparatively light in Weight so as to be easily moved relative to a bed and-so as to be readilyupwardly adjustable, even by a person confined to the bed. Also, the structure is such that parts are rigidly maintained in their described positions and the table top a table top, and a main supporting frame adapted to straddle the width of the bed for supporting said table top over the-bed, said supporting means including a pair of pedestals respectively disposed on opposite sides of the bed, spaced members respectively' disposed forwardly and rearwardly of said pedestals and rigidly connected to the upperA ends thereof, a rack bar rigidly connected to and extending between said spaced connectmg means, said table top being pivotally vmounted on said front connecting means and provided with means pivotally connected thereto for adjustably engaging the teeth of said rack vbar to maintain the table top in the desired position of adjustment.

2. In a hospital table, the combination o a table top, .a main support for said table top including a foot member, a hollow pedestal extending upwardly from said foot member, a member slidably mounted on said hollow post member for vertically adjustably supporting said table top, means mounted on the inside of said hollow pedestal for locking said member in the desired position of vertical adjustment, and foot controlled means mountedin said `pedestal foot for releasing said locking means. Y

3. In a device of the class described, an outer tubular post having a plurality ot perforations in a longitudinal row, an innertubular post telescoping said outer post and having means therein engageable in said perforations for adjusting the elevation of said outer` post relative to the inner ost, a resilient bumper. extending longitu inally ofsaid' outer post, and a mounting for said bumper secured to said outer post so as to conceal said perforations and providing space for said adjusting means when the' bumper secured to said outer post so as to conceal said perforations` and providing space for said adjusting means when the latter is extending through said perforations, said mounting comprising an approximately U-shaped member in cross sectionembracing said outer post2 the web of said U bulging away from said post, and a C-shaped member secured to said Web.-

5. In a device of the class described, a air of vertical posts, elongated foot :mem ers secured to said posts intermediate the ends of said foot members, a second pair of posts slidably but non-rotatably telescoping said first post, means for securing said second posts in vertically adjusted position relative to said first posts, a pair of spaced substantially parallel bars connected to said second posts at a point intermediate said bars so as to be vertically movable therewith, a table hinged'to one of said bars, and means for adjusting the angle of said table relative to the plane of said bars.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of vertical posts, elongated foot members secured to said posts intermediate the ends of said foot members, a second pair of posts Yslidably but non-rotatably telescoping said first post, means for securing said second posts in vertically ad]usted position relative to said irst posts, a pair of spaced substanf tially parallel bars connected to said second posts at a point intermediate said bars so as to be vertically movable therewith, a table hinged to one of said bars, and means for adjusting the angle of said table relative to the plane of said bars, said table-adjusting means comprising a rack extending between said parallel bars, and means pivoted to said table and engageable with said rack.

FRANK KUSTERLE. 

